Do You Ever, 245 miles & Friday Favorites!

She turned 7 and I should have gone 7 miles but 5.5 is close enough, right? I got out later than normal so that was all I had time for in the morning before the girls woke up.

Also, my legs were crazy cold (which never happens) and next week I need to do a 25 miler on a really cold day…. Do any of you double up your running tights? Do you find that helps?

245 miles for the month of January. I am determined to keep track of how many miles I run this year (for the first time ever). I have this planner right next to my computer so when I sit down to work I just write down my mileage.

The school week sure goes by fast when the first half of the week was in California.

I took the batteries out of the remote control and it is officially Skye’s favorite toy to play with.

I made it to a 45 minute yoga class during Skye’s nap. I go to a cute little studio in the Riverwoods. I go in the corner and try my hardest to get my muscles to cooperate. I am by far the least flexible person in there but I always leave feeling longer and looser.

We made some salads for lunch…

We celebrated my nephew’s birthday. My sis made Ritz Chicken and he requested donuts for dessert.

It was a great party!

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I have a few Friday Favorites to share (affiliate links included):

*In the comments a few weeks ago a reader told me about how much she loves reading a quote each night from this book with her kids. I wanted to do the same thing with our kids so I bought one too and we are loving it. The quotes get us talking about some important topics and brainstorming ideas of things we can do in our own lives.

*Skye’s shoes that I bought for Disneyland. They looked like little Converse shoes but they were only $9.89 and I thought they were so cute.

*A clip from Brene Brown about empathy vs sympathy that I loved.. it’s a few years old but I thought it was really helpful.

*Such a good article that Maggie shared with me about sports psychology (<— ps I spelled this psychocolate at first because I guess I was needing some chocolate)—-> HERE!

*This cereal from Costco. Turns out I’ll just be eating cereal now for the next few meals. IT IS SO GOOD. I like adding bananas, blueberries and blackberries which just takes it to the next level.

Oh Molly that is CRAZY!! And scary that you still had to leave (I hope the hospital you work at is close to you). I am so glad that the 2 degrees has arrived;) . Hopefully it just gets warmer and warmer. Good luck!

Oh my goodness, I can’t even imagine temperatures that low! I’m thinking that doubling up your tights might be a good idea.

I’m really excited this weekend because I’m going to Texas for a couple of days! It will be nice to spend some time with my family and with a friend I reconnected with recently! Hope that y’all have a wonderful weekend, Janae!

Lindsey

I live in Minnesota so I double up my tights almost all winter long, usually any time it’s under 20 degrees. It works to keep my legs warm, but I do find that it restricts my movement a bit so I usually only do it for easy pace runs. It might make it harder to do a fast workout, but it doesn’t sound like that’s what you’ll be doing! It also means we end up doing SO much laundry in the winter!

Good to know… I’ll definitely try it out! And yes, I’m going to probably do my speed on the treadmill next week so this is just for the easy long runs. That is so true… I miss the days of just washing my shorts, bra and tank each day rather than 20 layers ha. Have a wonderful day Lindsey!

Jan J

I definitely double up on the running tights, when it’s under 20 degrees. A thinner UA tight under my thermal North Face tights. How have your feet been doing? I also have special double layer socks (thin layers) that are great when it’s really cold, or if I might be running in snow. My temperature cut off for outside is 0 degrees though. Not worth it for me.

Good to know! Thank you Jan. Surprisingly my toes have been pretty great but that is a great idea to use those special double layer socks. 10 degrees is my cut off… I agree, not worth it for me either. I hope you have a great weekend!

Rhiannon

I am looking forward to our Super Bowl Party on Sunday! My friends and I have the tendency to go overboard with food and I am ready!
It’s currently -3 outside, but that’s way warmer than it has been the past two days… plus it’s supposed to be 50 by Sunday so we’re going to end up seeing like a 100 degree temperature change across a few days. So crazy!!
I tried doubling up on tights one time last year and I must’ve picked the wrong ones to try that with, because they kept bunching up and just felt uncomfortable. Maybe if I had two exact same pairs, it would work, but I tried it with two different brands/types and it did NOT.

I completely forgot that it is the Super Bowl! I want to come to your party. Sunday can’t come soon enough… that is NUTS. Oh that does sound frustrating to feel them all bunched up during the run. I hope you get to stay inside today and enjoy Sunday! Thanks Rhiannon!

Macy

These are the best tights for chilly runs! Super thick and warm, my butt is never cold, but they are comfortable enough for a long run (and they never fall down). I did 11 miles in them on a single digit/windy day and was toasty warm!

Amy in PA

We had some -10 to -20 windchills this week too, I took my workouts indoors (the gym & yesterday I went roller skating. I noticed how much better I run up hill when I throw some skating back in occasionally, my quads are rocks). I’m going back outside tomorrow, I do wear 2 pairs of tights when it’s below 30. I have some merino wool blend snow boarding tights I bought from Decathlon and I wear a really tight kind of see-thru pair underneath that I wouldn’t normally wear in public (lol). I was journaling last year but I haven’t really found a method this year besides jotting mileage on the fridge calendar.
That cereal looks crazy good!

That is nuts Amy! I’m so glad you were able to get your workouts down inside. Ummm such a good idea about skating, that is excellent cross-training. That sounds like an awesome combo for cold runs. Go get that cereal asap! Have a wonderful day and I hope it warms up quick.

Vera

I doubled up recently on my runs – I wore long thermals underneath my lulu’s when the temperature went below 20°F and I was really glad I did as on my way back, it’s a steady downhill run and I would have been really cold otherwise.

I’m looking forward to a family escape room adventure tomorrow. Bring on the weekend’s fun! :)

Kelli Dowling

I live in Chicago so I definitely have to double up sometimes. When it’s REALLY cold (0-15 degrees) I wear fleece lined running tights underneath joggers. It’s the only way I get out for those cold runs!

Good to know… I will definitely have to try that combo out. Thanks Kelli and I hope it warms up for you all soon. Remember how it feels like just a few months ago we were all sweating to death from running in the heat? I miss those days;)

Isla

It’s been super cold here, and I’m definitely doubling up on tights! Even considered wearing three pairs one day (but then decided that -30F means I should run on a treadmill). I really like “keep the heat thermal tights” from Lululemon for layering. They’re made from a wool blend and are quite snug, so they fit underneath other leggings. I wear mine under a fleece legging.

Mariah

I like how you keep track of your mileage in your agenda! That’s a great idea, since I already use my planner for every day stuff. I track all my workouts right now in Lauren Fleshman’s BELIEVE journal, which I love! There is space to write your weekly goals, details of workouts, mileage, rating and review of the week. Plus it’s undated, so you can start using it any time of the year!

Torrie

Our schools have been closed all week in Michigan! -14 degrees with windchills of -35! To make matters worse a huge gas line blew up and the local gas company asked everyone to drop their thermostats to 65 or lower to conserve gas so that we all didn’t run out! Lowering the temps caused lots of peoples pipes to burst! Such a disaster! Luckily for us the cold is almost over and we’ll be in the 50’s on Sunday! Can’t wait to get back outside!! Stay warm in Utah, Janae!!

Kristin

I’ve never tracked mileage before but kind of want to this year–love your idea of writing it in a planner.

It’s been so cold here too, but I’m GLAD I’m no longer in MN!!! This weekend I’ve registered for 2 yoga classes and I think they will feel so good after the cold. Hoping to be able to get outside for a run tomorrow, but we’ll see.

P.S. I love reading your blog every day! I usually read it over my lunch break but lately I’ve been reading it in the morning (we’ve had delayed starts here every day this week) and it brightens up my day!!

Kristin, thank you SO much for your sweet comment. It means a lot to me! Stay warm and enjoy those yoga classes (that is how I felt yesterday… the room was so hot and I just loved sweating)! Yes, try the planner. Have a beautiful day!

I might have to try that fitness planner. I got a beautiful BELIEVE training journal, but I have a hard time sticking with it–simply because of the little running I am doing vs. the great amount of cross-training that fills my time (and my need for cross-training because of my crappy joints) and I just get a bit insecure when I fill in ANOTHER spin class or yoga or Body Flow class instead of more days where I am running miles. I know I have to work on my mental game and the stories I tell myself, but maybe for now a different planner instead of one so incredibly focused on totalling miles every single week would be a good thing?

I’ve never doubled up on leggings, but that sounds like a good idea. Instead I have gone to Target or the Under ARmour outlet and gotten the thickest fleeciest leggings possible whenever the weather has gotten so low that even ‘cold weather gear’ isn’t quite enough.

This weekend, aside from teaching a couple of Flow classes and practicing choreography for the latest RPM release and hopefully feeling OK enough to go on a run, I have no plans. I have some credits with a Massage Envy memberhsip I am letting lapse that I need to use, so I am planning to call today to see if I can schedule a series of massages to use those up–hopefully starting with THIS SUNDAY (boom!). I think part of self-care, since my load right now is so much, needs to include massages. A Janae-style statistic informs me that my life will be 68493.5% better if I follow this idea. I also need to write a blog post. I think I finally have the words and the sense of peace and closure to write about the 10K I was set to run in St. Pete a couple of weekends ago. Isn’t it weird how sometimes we need distance from things–not so much for emotional closure (not EVERYTHING is so dramatic…) but just to understand where we are and what part of us the goals we set in our mind are serving–and then to weigh those parts of ourselves against each other and to decide where our commitments are? Almost like the act of ‘getting distance’ is my inner ad hoc psychologist taking the reigns… ;)

You know, I love seeing the Ghost 11s enter your running pictures. I have been switching between the Launches and Ghosts on my runs, and I got a hand-me-down pair of the Ghost 11s in white. I haven’t worn them yet to run–simply because many of the running days when I have reached for my Ghosts have been rainy or muddy or something. But the pink and black ones you have are the original color I wanted. I need to decide if I break down and buy them in pink & black (or in that light blue camo-ish print that’s on the Brooks website) or if I get myself a pair of Cascadia 13s to encourage a small goal I have of getting on the trails–with hikes and hopefully to see how I feel with trail running. I tried on a pair of the Cascadias in my store and they were so comfy (the calderas were, too, but I *tend* to like a more significant heel-toe offset and I think I might need ot start with the Cascadias…). It’s a big debate in my head which to invest in right now–the Ghost 11s I wanted (in part admittedly for vanity) or the Cascadias (to invite what I hope will become a new habit or adventure)? Or should I just save my pennies and treat myself to a pair of supersoft Glycerins since the next version of them will come out in one month? What do you think?

Your nephew has good style–donuts for birthday cake. Have that at the end of a taco dinner and he is a young boy after my adult woman’s culinary heart. Somehow, I think that tacos and donuts go together and pizza and ice cream go together. I don’t know why exactly, but in my head it’s like that. Hmm…

I absolutely agree… go get that massage! Yes for sure, time is the best medicine for different issues… write the blog post! That is a fabulous questions! The Glycerins are supposed to be pretty amazing. Follow your heart on this issue:) . Haha that goes together in my head too:) . Thank you Stephanie, you too!

Oh I love that log… it is pretty and it just looks outdoorsy and perfect. Good luck on keeping track… let’s do it together. Enjoy date night… we are going out tonight too! I’m going to get some merino wool tights, thank you!

Whitney

I’ve done tights under looser pants and haven’t struggled with restricted movement at all. I used to live in Wisconsin and it was -27 there for the high yesterday. Rec center for swimming lessons is on the schedule tomorrow.

I love that! The only problem is that I don’t always remember to wear my watch on the treadmill. Luckily with my latest watch I usually remember to so hopefully I can just go off of that. Thanks Donna!

~ R

Tights under yoga pants work well. Thin base layers under tights work well. Or any of Sporthill’s pants for extra cold weather – my favorite are these: https://www.sporthill.com/womens-3sp-dura-callaghan-skinny-pant/ They work great down into single temps, block some of the wind, and double-duty wonderfully for other snow/cold activities (like sledding with the kids or hiking).

I’ve kept trace of my mileage for years now (along with workout notes, injuries, and shoe mileage). I either buy the $1 mini planners at Target (easiest) or when I can’t find those, simple mini-spiral bound notebooks where I note the day and associated miles/notes.

Those look awesome and they are on sale right now… plus they are windproof up to 35 mph. Awesome, thanks so much. Good idea with those mini planners, I’ve seen those. Thanks and have a wonderful weekend!

Rosie

I read Wonder to my 6th grade class and then we worked through the 365 days. It’s awesome! So many of our young kids lack empathy and understanding of one another. I live in rural Northern Illinois. I wear my fleece tights with windpants over them. For me it’s not the cold that bothers me…..it’s the bitter wind! Works like a charm.

Emily

Are you not on Strava?!? Garmin automatically updates and if you don’t wear your watch on the treadmill you can manually enter. Best thing ever to not even think about miles and you can support your friends! You can keep your runs private, show them to your friends and also set a zone near your home that it never shows at all.

Claire

Agreed. Strava is the best, completely automatic, and you can add manual entries if you don’t wear your watch. This is why running watches have Bluetooth- so you don’t have to remember to write you run down every day! I’m really surprised it took this long in the comments for someone to mention Strava, and I’m baffled why so may people use pen and paper.

Kelly

I have been tracking my training using Strava for years – so easy, and it logs mileages for shoes as well. And add a manual activity for things that I haven’t tracked on my watch. I keep a lot of my activities completely private (especially where I start/finish at home, only I can see them, though my coach can see my weekly totals but not the routes). club runs that I run with a group I make public. The social part is fun for those, but you can avoid that altogether if you prefer. And definitely make a privacy zone around my house.
I used to use Garmin Connect for the same purpose but my current watch is a Suunto, so Strava keeps the full log of both.

Lee

So, maybe Strava is a cute, honest outfit, who owns them? What binding commitments do they make to their users? Due diligence and transparency – to be monitored ongoing as long as one is on Strava. It’s a lot more work than writing it down.

Loribeth

We are getting a warm spell! 50 today, 60s for next few days and a possibility of 70 on Wednesday, although it will be raining, but still, woo hoo! I am planning a long run for Wednesday so I can be prepared in case it rains on race day in 4 weeks.

I have a run today in my new Levitates……I broke them in yesterday for 8 miles…..they are beautiful, I love running shoes, ha!

I keep track of my miles a few places: on the shoe boxes (so I know how many each pair has on them), a planner where things are planned out for the whole year, and a small notebook where I write down the miles once they are completed, because the plan I make for the year gets changed throughout the year. I have been keeping track of my miles in a little notebook since 2013, so it’s fun to go back and look at previous years!

Corrinne

We had negative 50 windchill here in Central Illinois on Wednesday and Sunday’s high is supposed to be like 54 degrees. That is a 100 degree swing! But I can’t wait to run outside again and possibly even in some Capri pants. I have doubled up on tights in the past. It feels a little bulky but definitely keeps you warm. I use Strava to keep track of my total miles. Good golly you ran a lot of miles in January! You are going to kill this ultra!

Michelle

Kristine Chew

It isn’t that cold in Vancouver, but it sure is in other parts of Canada. At one point Manitoba was minus 50 degrees celsius. The city shut down and people obviously couldn’t go outside! If it is cold I will wear wind pants over my running tights…but that was at – 30 degrees. I wouldn’t be outside if it was any colder. And that was when I lived in a colder province.

I keep track of mileage on strava. I just sync my suunto. I don’t really write down my mileage otherwise.

Weekend plans include maybe heading to the mountains, sleeping in, more running (might sign up for a race) and Amazon prime.

I double up my running tights if it’s under 10 degrees (lol). For single-digit runs I do a thinner layer close to my skin then my thick, fleece lined tights on the outside.
If it’s 10-35 I do just the fleece lined, and if it’s 35-55 I do just the thinner, long leggings. It’s a science!!
Also I SWEAR by Athleta’s polartec fleece lined leggings. They’re the best!

Amanda

I just have to say how much I love when bloggers call out other bloggers…I am craving some new people to follow (in addition to my long standing favorites of course!) Thank you!

Have any weekend plans that you are looking forward to? I started taking flying lessons, so it will be a weekend of study and hopefully some air time!

I know some of you are having crazy weather right now… what is the temperature where you live? I hesitate to say this but we are in the low to mid 70’s out here in HI and the wind has been fierce….island squalls! :-)

Do you ever double up your running tights on a cold day? i grew up in the Midwest and went to MSU for my undergrad…I remember feeling like Ralphie’s little brother from A Christmas Story sometimes on my way to class. Think I am good now here on an island.

Do you keep track of your mileage for the year… how do you keep track of it? yes!! I track everything in life, for no other reason to just give me better understanding on why things happen…its nice to have a reference to help provide answers if/when you want them.

Kaila

Hi Janae,
I don’t like wearing two pairs of running tights because I feel it constricts my movement, but on really cold days I wear a pair of nylon tights (like you might wear under a dress) for an extra layer of warmth. It’s perfect because you can wear an old pair with holes since no one will see them :)
I am wondering how you keep your phone warm while you run when it is cold? I have been trying to carry my phone more often for safety reasons but I find that under 30 degrees, it gets too cold and the battery dies.
Happy Friday!!
Kaila

Mary

I don’t have these but I’ve heard the oiselle flyout tights are super warm. I just have an old pair of fleece lined tights from road runner sports. I have also doubled up with thin tights under yoga type pants.

LC Niner

I often double the layers on my legs. I would much rather be too warm than too cold. I have to find the right combination though otherwise it can feel constricting to my stride. I absolutely love running on the extreme cold and extreme hot days. Likely not wise…but I cannot help myself!

Tracy

This week, we had -34 with windchill of -46. And after the snow in the next few days, from Monday on, the high for the next week is -27, yes, -27 and that’s without windchill factored in. Sure hope the forecasters are wrong this time!!!! The polar vortex has captured us it seems. My poor puppy. He is 9 months old and needs activity. Actually, more like poor me, if he doesn’t get it, lol! On top of that, today and tomorrow we have a blizzard happening, and my husband is away. Looks like I get to shovel it all out on my own. Have a fun weekend!

Sandy N

WOW on your mileage for January and you even had a vacation – very impressive! I am completely shocked that you have never totalled your mileage before. I have been doing it since 2011. I just use the cheap runner’s log book (i prefer spiral bound) that I bought on amazon. It is good and bad to track you annual totals. I ran less in 2018 (1198) than 2017 (1240) but I didn’t get upset at myself (see I am learning!). I just realized that I started doing more strength training and booty barre classes in 2018. This took away from my “working out” time.

Yes, I double up my tights. I wear a very thin layer below my warmest pair. It really does make a difference. I am ready for spring but it is going to be in the 60’s here next week – que the roller coaster weather.

Thank you for the quick tip on the tarte – pack your bags eye patches. I am going to look them up. I use the Tarte concealer and I love it. I use Mac makeup but prefer the Tarte concealer. I also ordered the 365 days of wonder. I can’t wait to read it nightly with my 14 year old. It is never too soon or too late to start these types of conversations. Thank you!

My oldest son attends Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA and he is home this weekend. Adds a little peep to my step. I have an 8 mile long run on my half training plan. This will be my longest run since a 10 mile run in June. Have a wonderful weekend with your beaufiful family.

Lee

Rachelle Moon

We have a lot of cold wind and what works for me on really cold days (and sounds weird) is I layer my 32-degrees base layer pants over leggings. I’m sure it would work other way around but the 32-degree pants are baggier.

It has been so fun reading about your trip (not vacation, LOL) because we are going to Disneyland on Sunday =D We are flying because it’s just too far to drive from Colorado. So it’s our first flight with a 2.5 year old and 9 month old, please send us luck!

I have doubled up on tights usually when it’s below 5 degrees. I wear a think pair underneath a thick winter pair and it really helps. Good luck with your long cold run!

There was so much to love in today’s blog!! First, that cereal! I am definitely looking for it when I go to Costco this weekend. I have never heard of Brene Brown before but after hearing that clip I have subscribed to her blogs/podcasts. Thank you!
After living in Wyoming for 6 years I did find some great running gear for winter. I have some North Face windstoppers, and Sugoi brand tights. Both have ‘wind panels’ that help. On super cold/windy days, I would put some cozy tights on underneath.

Karin

Double running tights might be so tight! I actually use ol’ Fashioned nylons under my winter running tights. They are so thin and don’t impede form but add that extra layer of warmth. Canadian winters are NOT my favourite!

Carrie

Yup Double up on tights! When I went to the gym yesterday if was 1 degree… I think the windchill was -14. Today we were supposed to have snow flurries and randomly it ended up snowing all day and we picked up some shoveable snow.

Emily

Natasha

Love that Brene Brown clip! I teach a trauma course and showed that the first class of this semester!
Great idea to keep a record of your miles. I love to track acc9mplishments- books read each month, etc.

kelly

When its cold I just wear a pair of sweatpants over my running tights. My legs get cold very easily and its the only thing that keeps them warm enough. The sweatpants i wear are tighter at the top and i tie the drawstring on my waist tight so they end up fitting similar to a pair of running tights. I look weird but My legs stay comfy warm!

Jenn

Thankfully we were on vacation last week. But I did worry about all my friends and family and my dogs back home here in IL. We hit history low records last week, with actual temps at -32 and wind chills at -56 !!! Our town actually shut down and closed everything for 2 whole days. It was crazy insane. It was actually colder here than it was in Alaska and Antarctica last week. Again, we were on a Caribbean Cruise…..so thankful we missed it but glued to the news for our family here. Every one was safe and well but the it was tough for the animals. Their paws froze before they had a chance to go potty.